The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-08-11


seized his assailant's horns in his pow
erful grasp, and pressed his head down
againstthe ground by his great strength
and the weight of his enormous body,
biting at the bulls nose and tearing
the flesh from his neck aud shoulders
with his long sharp claws. This posi-
ton was maintained for at least five
minutes, the bull struggling desperate
ly to free his head, but being unable to
accomplish il, while the bear put forth
every muscle to press the bulls body
TO the ground. The blood poured from
the bulls nos;rils in great streams. but
the bear had as yet received no appar-
ent injury.
Presently both animals paused in
their desperate struggle, as each was
blown and rapidly approaching ex-
hanstion. The bear did not relax the
hold he had obtained on his contestant.
As yet, during the fight neither ami
NAL had uttered u sound, except their
loud and labored breathing. The ees-
sation in the struggle had probably
been of ten minutes duration, when
suddenly the hull made one desperate
lunge, broke the motionloss but terrible
embrace, hurled the bear from Off his
head and backed away probably ten
PAGES. The bear lifted his huge form
on his launches aud stood ready for
the next assault The herd of cattle
had BY this time gathered in from the
plain and surrounded the conlbatauts,
moaning and believing, and paving
up the ground, but maintaining ter
riiied neutrality. From my position IN
the tree watched the exciting scene
with breathless interest.
',The bull did not remain at rest a
moment after backing away for a new
charge, but, rendered furious by his
wounds, he gathered all his energies,
aud with an unearthly cry, rushed with
'impetuousforce aid feroeity uponthe
bear. The latter.attempted TO- use the
tactics that had served linn so well ut
the first onslaught, but tlie second
charge of THE bull was Irresistible, in
spite of the bears terrific blows with
his paws, aud the grizzly went down in
the dust befnre his orazcd antagonist,
and yainly tried to defend himself. The
bull thrust his horns iG under the bear,
caught him in the belly with one of the
sharp weapons, and with one furious
sweep OF his head tore the grizzly open
Until his enuails prntruded. Then the
grizzly rose to his feet, and with Il roar
that made my blood run cold closed
with his terrible enemy, and for a long
time the two fought, their cries aud the
cries of the surrounding cattle being
frightful tolistcn TO.
"While the fight was going on two
great eagles appeared from somemys-
terioas ierie and sailed and circlca above
the scene Of the conflict. leisurely and
gradually dropping nearer TO the earth.
Almost simultaneously with the APP
pearance Of the eagles saw the heads
of half Il dozen hungry wolves emerge
from the bushes where the fight had
begun. knew that the battle must
soon end and that the eagles and the
wolves had scented the contest from
afar, and knew by their infallible in
stinct that it must result in choice prey
for them. The presence Of these hungry
birds and beasts of prey added to the
terror Of the bloody conflict.
The terrible fight continued. The
ground was torn up and covered with
blood for many feet around. Both ami
mails were glieyously wounded. twas
plain that neither could hold out much
longer. Manned and CORY, they fought
viii. the certainty of death, the bear
rolling over and over in the dust vainly|
irving TO avoid the fatal horns of his
adversely, and the bullripping, thrust
ing and tearing the grizzly with ire
sistible forocity. At last, as if deter
mined to end the conflict. the bull drew
back, lowered his head, aud made a
third terrific charge, but blinded by
the streams of blood that poured down
his face, he missed his mark, stumbled,
and rolled headlong on the ground In
spite of his frightful injuries and great
exhaustion, the bear turned quickly and
sprang upon his PROSTATE enemy. He
seemed to have been suddenly invigor-
ated by this turn Of the battle in his
favor With merciless sweeps of his
huge claws he tore the flesh in great
masses from the bulls upturned side.
The advantage the bear thus obtained
over the bull seemed TO be understood
by the herd, and the believing in
creased, dirt was thrown about in
clouds, and one big COW drew near the
struggling animals, aud believed for
a moment that she intended to 90 to
the aid of the herds PROSTATE header,
so fierce was her aspect and actions;
but she simply circled around the bear
and the bull, believing and paving.
In the mean time both the eagles and
the wolves grew impatient of the delay
in the battles ending. The former
would now and then swoop down. as if
TO hurry up the finish, uttering harsh
cries, and some waiting wolf would
steal from MS covert ana make closer
and more courageous reconnaissance,
swapping and snarling in apparent dis
appointment.
THE bull and the bear rolled over
and over in the terrible death struggle.
Nothing was now to be seen but
heaying, CORY mass, dimly perceptible
through the dust. AS to weight, the
two fierce and determined brutes must
have been about equally matched. The
bear had the advantage of greater
agility and the expert and telling use
Of two terrible weapons, his teeth and
claws while the bull represented more
inllexible courage and greater powers
of endurance The unfortunate result
of the bulls last charge on the grizzly